The EEOC brought this suit against U.S. Investigations Services, Inc. in September 2006 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Johnstown). The complaint alleged sexual harassment, sex discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights ...
read more >

The EEOC brought this suit against U.S. Investigations Services, Inc. in September 2006 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Johnstown). The complaint alleged sexual harassment, sex discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The intervenor-plaintiffs alleged sexual harassment, sex discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Very little activity occurred before the case was settled by consent decree in November 2007. The intervenor-plaintiffs entered into separate settlement agreements and general releases with U.S. Investigation Services, the terms of which were incorporated into the consent decree. The case closed in February 2008 upon a stipulation of dismissal by the intervenor-plaintiffs and U.S. Investigations Services.

The three-year consent decree included non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses and requires U.S. Investigations Services to mail notice of the consent decree to all of its former employees who were employed on June 15, 2007. It requires U.S. Investigations Services to draft and implement policies against discrimination, harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII and a complaint procedure, including a toll-free number for reporting violations of the policies. The decree includes a "notice and chance to remedy" dispute resolution process and it automatically extends if any material disputes remain unresolved after the term of the decree. U.S. Investigations Services was required to pay a total of $360,000. Two intervenor-plaintiffs were each awarded $115,250, minus $46,248.30 for attorney's fees and costs. One intervenor-plaintiff was awarded $129,500, minus $51,930.02 for attorney's fees and costs. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement; the case was presumably closed in 2010.